Multicolor and perfecting printing-machine.



PATENTED OCT. 27, 1903.

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c fzwador PATBNTBD OCT. 27; 1903.

W. SPALGKHAVER.

MULTIOOLOR AND PERFEGTING PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED MAR. 20, 1901.

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PATENTED OCT. 27, 1903.. W. SPALCKHAVBR. MULTIGOLOR AND PERFECTINGPRINTING MACHINE.

7 APPLICATION PILED MAR. 20; 1901. Y

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UNITED STATES iatented October 27, 1.902%.

PATENT OFFIC WILLIAM SPALOKHAVER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO ROBERTHOE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MULTICOLOR AND PERFECTING PRINTING-MACHINE.

srncxrxcArxoN forming part er Letters Patent No. 742,247, dated October27, 1903.

\ Application filed March 20,1901. Serial No. 52.029. (N'omodeld To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM SPALOKHA- VER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at NewYork, county of Kings',-and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Multicolor andPerfecting Printing-Machine's, fully described and represented in thefollowing specification and the accompanying drawings, forming apart ofthe same. i

This invention relates to certain improvements in printing-machines.

The invention has for its object to produce a machine which shall becapacitated to give a sheet a plurality of impressions on the same sideor perfect it, as may be desired.

With this and other objects in view the invention consists in certainconstructions and in certain parts, improvements, and combinations, aswill be hereinafter fully described and then specifically pointed out inthe claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification,and in which like characters of reference indicate the same parts,Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of so much of a printing machineas is necessary to an understanding of the invention, the machine beingarranged to give a sheet a plurality of impressions on the same side.Fig. 2 is an elevation similar to Fig. 1, but showing the machinearranged to give a sheet impressions on opposite sides. Fig. 3 is a planof the gearing employed with the machine arranged as in Fig. 1. Fig. 4is a plan of the gearing employed when the machine is arranged as inFig. 2.

. Referring to the drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of theinvention, 1 indicates a frame, which may be of any usual or desiredconstruction. The frame in the present instance is arranged to supportthe form carriers of two printing-couples. The printingcouples willpreferably be of r the rotary type, and the form-carriers thereof consist of two cylinders, said cylinders being marked 2 and 3. Theform-carrier 2 is mounted on a shaft 4, and the form-carrier 3 ismounted on a shaft 5, said shafts being supported in boxes of any usualdescription. Cooperating with the form-carrier 2 is an impression member7, which, as shown, consists of a cylinder mounted on a shaft 8,supported .in boxes of any usual description. The cyl= inder 7 isprovided with sheet-taking devices, which. may be of any suitabledescription. As shown, the sheet-takin g devices consist of grippers 9,which may be operated by any of the usual devices well known in the artfor this purpose. Since, however, these devices form no part of thepresent invention, they are not illustrated.

The impression member which cooperates with the form-carrier 3 is also acylinder, said cylinder being marked. 10 and being mounted on a shaft12, which is supported in boxes of any usual description. Theimpression-cyl-- inder 10 is provided with any usual form ofsheet-taking devices, said devices in the pres-' ent instance consistingof grippers 16, which, as will appear from the description hereinaftergiven, operate to take the sheet from the grippers 9 of the cylinder 7and retain it on the impression-surface of the cylinder 10. In additionto the sheet-taking grippers 16 the; cylinder 10 is provided with asecond set of sheet-taking devices, which, as shown, consist of grippers40, said grippers being operated by any of the usual devices for thispurpose.

When the machine is arranged so that the second couple delivers itsimpression on the side'of the sheet opposite to that which has beenprinted by the first couple, the grippers 16 on the cylinder 10 take thesheet directly from the grippers 9 on the cylinder 7 in a manner whichis well understood, said grippers thus acting as a transferring means.It is to be understood, however, that the machine might be arranged sothat other transferring means could be employed. When, however,the,machine is arranged so that the second couple delivers itsimpression on the same side as the first couple, an intermediatetransfer device is employed, which inay be of any suitable description.As shown, it consists of a cylinder 41, mounted on a shaft 42 andprovided with any usual form of sheet-taking devices-as, for instance,grippers 43, which are operated by any usual mechanism. (Not shown.)When the transfer-cylinder is employed to transfer the sheet, thegrippers 43 take it from the grippers 9 on the cylinder 7 and transferit to the grippers 40 on the cylinder 10.

Any suitable driving mechanism may be employed. In the machine shownthis driving mechanism is of such a character that when the couples areprinting on the same side of the sheet the cylinders of the secondcouple move in the same direction as the cylinders of the first couple,(the direction of movement being referred to a common standard-as, forinstance, the hands of a Watch;) but when the machine is arranged toprint on opposite sides of a sheet one couple moves in a directionopposite to that of the other couple.

In the construction shownin the drawings the main shaft of the machineis indicated at 18, this shaft being provided with a drivingpinion 19.The pinion 19 meshes with a gear 44, which in turn meshes with a gear25, which is mounted on the shaft 4 of the form-carrier 2. The gearmeshes with a gear 24 on the shaft 8 of the impression member 7. Thistrain of gearing operates to drive the first couple always in the samedirection. The gear 19 further meshes with a gear45, mounted on a shortshaft 46, which is suitably supported on the frame. This short shaft 46has on its outer end (see Fig. 4) a gear 47, which may be caused to meshwith a gear 29 on the shaft 5 of the form-carrier 3 when the machine isarranged as in Fig. 2-that is to say, when it is running as aperfecting-machine. The gear 47 may be further caused to mesh with abroad-faced gear 48, mounted on a stud 49, suitably supported in abracket 60 on the frame of the machine. This broadfacedgear 48 ismovable endwise on its stud and may be caused tomesh simultaneously withthe gear 47 and the gear 29, or it may be out of mesh with both of them.Its position when it is out of mesh with both these gears is shown inFig. 3. When itis in mesh with both these gears, its position is shownin Fig. 4, and the machine is then being driven as indicated in Fig.2-that is to say, the machine is arranged so that both couples delivertheir impressions on opposite sides of the sheet.

Suitable delivery mechanism is employed, and this delivery mechanism ispreferably so arranged as to take the sheet from the secondimpression-cylinder no matter in which direction the cylinder isrunning. To this end therefore the delivery mechanism is provided withtwo sets of delivery devices. In the construction'shown the deliverymechanism includes a set of tapes 33, which operate in connection with aset of delivery devices, consisting of a cylinder 32 and grippers 31,and also in connection with another delivery device, which consists of aswitch 50. When the machine is operating as acolor-machinethat is, whenit is arranged as shown in Fig. 1-the sheet is taken from the grippers40 on the cylinder 10 by the grippers 31 on the cylthe opposite side.

inder 32, is carried around on said cylinder, and then run off on thetapes. When, however, the machine is arranged as aperfectingmachine-that is, as shown in Fig. 2the grippers 31 areinoperative and the sheet is taken from the grippers 16 by the switchand delivered to the tapes 33.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The form-carriers 2 and 3are in this instance shown as provided with two form-carrying surfaces,upon which are mounted two planographic printing-surfaces. Eachform-carrier is accordingly provided with two sets of inking and waterrolls, as common in such cases. When the machine is arranged as shown inFig. 1, a sheet will be taken from the feed-board or any other suitabledelivery means by the grippers 9 on the cylinder 7 and retained by saidgrippers on said cylinder until both forms on the carrier 2 havedelivered their impression. After being printed by the forms on thecarrier 2 the sheet is taken by the grippers 43 on the transfer-cylinder41 and delivered to the grippers 40 on the cylinder 10. Itis retained bythese grippers on the cylinder 10 until it has received an impressionfrom each form on the form-carrier 3, these impressions being deliveredon the same side of the sheet as the impressions from the forms on thecarrier 2. The sheet is therefore in this arrangement of the machineprinted in four colors. Afterhaving been thus printed it is taken by thegrippers 31 on the cylinder 32 and delivered to the tapes 33,by which itis carried out of the machine. When itis desired to perfect, the gearingis arranged so as to reverse the direction of movement of the secondcouple and the transfer-cylinder is thrown out of operation. One of thesets of inking devices which cooperate with the formcarrier 3 is alsothrown out of operation and one of the forms is removed from themachine. With this arrangement of the machine the sheet is taken asbefore by the grippers 9 on the cylinder 7 and receives two impressionson one side. When these impressions are completed, the sheet is taken bythe grippers 16 and transferred to the impression-cylinder 10, where itremains until it has received an impression from the form on the carrier3. After this has been accomplished the switch 50 is dropped and thesheet is run ofi onto the tapes. With this arrangement of the machinethe sheet receives two impressions on one side and aperfecting-impression on With this arrangement, furthermore, thecylinder 10 makes one idle revolution to every two revolutions of thecylinder 7.

While the invention has been shown as embodied in a machine in which theformcarriers are provided with two forms, it will be understood that theinvention is not restricted to this type of machine. While, furthermore,the particular means shown for carrying the invention into elfectconstitute a preferred embodiment of the invention, it

is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to suchmeans.

What is claimed is- 1. The combination with a printing-couple, of asecond printing-couple, means for driving said couples, means fortransferring a sheet directly from the sheet-carrying member of thefirst couple to the sheet-carrying member of the second couple, meansfor reversing the direction of rotation of the second couple, a transferdevice operating to transfer a sheet from the sheet-carrying member ofthe first couple to the sheet-carrying member of the second couple, anda delivery mechanism cooperating with the sheet-carrying member of thesecond couple and constructed to take the sheet when said member ismoving in either direction, substantially as described. I

2. The combination with a printing-couple, of a second printing-couple,means-for driving said couples in opposite directions, means fortransferring a sheet from the first couple to the second couple, meansfor reversing the direction of rotation of the second couple, a transferdevice operating to transfer a sheet from the sheet-carrying member ofthe first couple to the sheet-carrying member of the second couple, anda delivery mechanism employing two sets of delivery devices, one setoperating when the second couple is moving in one direction and theother set operating when said couple is moving in the oppositedirection, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a printing-couple, of a second printing-couple,means for driv-- ing said couples in opposite directions, means fortransferring a sheet from the first couple to the second couple, meansfor reversing the direction of rotation of the second couple, a transferdevice operating to transfer a sheet from the sheet-carrying member ofthe first couple to the sheet-carrying member of the second couple, anda delivery mechanism employing a set of sheet-taking devices and abridge or switch, the sheet-taking devices operating when the secondcouple is moving in one direction and the switch operating when saidcouple is moving in the opposite direction, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a printing-couple, of means for driving saidcouple in opposite directions, and a single delivery mechanism operatingin connection with the sheet-carrying member of the couple having twosets of devices for removing the sheet from thesheetcarrying member, oneset operating when the couple is moving in one direction and the otherset operating when the couple is moving in the opposite direction,substantially as described.

5. The combination with a rotary printing couple consisting of animpression-cylinder and a form-carrier having a plurality of forms, of asecond rotating printing-couple consisting of an impression-cylinder anda form-carrier having a plurality of forms, means for taking andretaining a sheet on the impression member of the first couple until ithas received an impression from each of the forms on the form-carrierthereof, means whereby the sheet is transferred either side out to thesheet-carrying member of the second couple, and means for retaining iton said member until it has received an impression from each of theforms on the form-carrier of the second couple, substantially asdescribed.

6. The combination with a rotary printingcouple consisting of animpression-cylinder and a form-carrier having a plurality of forms, ofasecond rotating printing-couple consisting of an impression-cylinder anda form-carrier having a plurality of forms, means for rotating saidcouple in opposite directions, means for taking and retaining a sheet onthe impression member of the first couple until it has received animpression from each form I on the form-carrier thereof, means fortransferring the sheet from one couple to the other when the couples arerunning in opposite directions, a transfer device also operating totransfer the sheet from one couple to the other when the couples arerunning in the same direction, and means for retaining the sheet on theimpression member of the second couple until it has received animpression from each form on the form-carrier of the second couple,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM SPALGKHAVER.

Witnesses F. W. H. CRANE, L. RoEHM.

